One of my favorite parts about Drag Week is the fact that competitors have to drive on a predetermined route to the next track. On the route they have to pay attention, wear seat belts, and stop at any number of required checkpoints to make sure that there’s not shortcuts taken by competitors. The routes we travel are designed to be loopy, long, and areally a good testing bed for theĀ competitors, to measure the ability of the car on the streets. I have been driving with Freiburger this week and we have been been loving the routes each day which have taken us through tiny towns and scenic byways. Because of the area and because of the fact we’re racking up so many miles, of backroad driving we have seen neat stuff and maybe nothing neater than this!
We were driving down the road in Ponca City, Oklahoma when we spotted what looked to be an overgrown muffler just sitting there. When we passed it both of us freaked out because then realized that it was an actual car. The thing is built off of a VW chassis and while it has not been cruising the highways and byways of Ponca City recently, a police officer than happened upon us rubbing up on the thing informed our small motley crew that up until 15 years ago it would drive in all the parades and small gatherings around town. The whole thing is intact and the muffler shell is virtually flawless. The interior need junked first and new stuff needs to be added…like a roof!
The muffler car is really, really cool. We wis we would have gotten the chance to drive it!
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE TOTALLY SWEET VW BASED “MUFFLER CAR” IN OKLAHOMA –
Pretty cool – looks like a combo of a home heating oil tank & a late model Corvette that eloped together & produced offspring……
Let’s see: black hat, cammo shorts, flip-flops…
I believe we have us a Freiburger sighting!
On the other hand, I would love to see Lutz or some other drag racing wizard actually buy that thing and make it something fast, just for kicks.
I would buy that shit whole so fast. Dump the VW junk, it needs an American drive train. I’d put a 69 Olds chassis with a 455 under it. Flowmaster needs to get that junk and make it good!!!
Looks like they just welded the tube frame right on the outer body shell of the Bug. The doors and remains of door panels to the car are still visible. With the weeds growing up through the top panels at the back must mean this thing has a least five feet of over hang out past the rear wheels. Getting in and out of driveways would not be any fun.
I can see a Roadkill episode…………
with the dents in the windshield frame,did the tornado flip it?
You hit the nail on the head. This was originally an attempt an a tornado proof storm chaser vehicle. Didn’t work as hoped. Became a parade float/rolling billboard.
Hey Scott, just to provide some history on this car. It was built by my brother who owned Austin Mufflers and Shocks in Ponca, maybe there was another car that was used for storm chasing. It was really cool though to see it again after all these years!
BUY IT and put some cool drivetrain in it!!!
Just watch it will show up with a yawn LS in it . I say blown 455 olds toronado drivetrain in the back
Does “Skunk Works” know one got loose and is running free range in Oklahoma?
I’d put a couple of small jet engines in the rear.
Hey, that’s my brothers old car, for lack of better word. He built that many years back. Talk about throw back Thursday.. but on Friday. It still looks in good shape.
My Uncle built that car when he owned “Austins Muffler”, he drove it around in all the parades and he said he couldn’t even get it above 30. Now he still owns a muffle shop in Kansas City called “Bills’s American Muffler”. He showed me pictures of it when I worked for him. He said he wants to build another one because he loved it so much then he found this. I bet he would buy it back in a heart beat because he loved the thing so much.
Kansas š